RUBBERBAND
Reckless Underdog © Sasha Onyshchenko
Reckless Underdog © Sasha Onyshchenko
Ever So Slightly © Marie-Noële Pilon
Trenzado © David Wong
Vic's Mix © Michael Slobodian
About
GREEN FUND TOUR SUPPORT AVAILABLE.
Available for the 24/25 touring season, the Green Fund is a new eco-touring initiative that provides fee subsidies to presenters who support RUBBERBAND's efforts in environmentally responsible touring. Click HERE for details.|
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Repertory
Reckless Underdog (2023)
(Green Fund Fee Support Available)
Running Time: 60 minutes, no intermission
Choreographer: Victor Quijada (pronounced: kee-hah-dah)
Dramaturgy: Mathieu Leroux
Costume Design: Cloé Alain-Gendreau
Lighting Design: Jon Cleveland
Scenography: Pierre-Étienne Locas
Musical Director & Co-Composer: Jasper Gahunia
Composers: Chilly Gonzales, Kid Koala, Vlooper of Alaclair Ensemble
RUBBERBAND’s new creation, Reckless Underdog, propels the company’s achievements of the last twenty years to new heights. In a work larger than nature, twelve dancers come together in a choreography of three acts. Each part, a piece in itself, draws spectators into a unique, complex world through its distinctive scenography, music, and movement aesthetic.
The first, inspired by classical ballet, redefines the rules of the pas de deux in a bright, mechanical environment. The second deconstructs the break cypher in a sombre, oppressive atmosphere. The third, boldly experimental, distorts theatrical codes, confronting them head-on in an abstract, minimal, highly-coloured approach.
For artistic director and choreographer Victor Quijada, this new chapter in the company’s history is the culmination of the RUBBERBAND Method and its capacity to overturn the traditional conventions of dance genres. Reckless Underdog is guaranteed to transport us through a lyrical, figurative dissection of pedestrian movement that defies the limits of time and space.
Reckless Underdog is a coproduction of RUBBERBAND and Danse Danse. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
Ever So Slightly (2018)
(Green Fund Fee Support Available)
Running Time: 70 minutes, no intermission (Option for live or recorded music.)
Choreographer: Victor Quijada
Dramaturgy: Mathieu Leroux
Musical Director: Jasper Gahunia
Original Music: Jasper Gahunia, William Lamoureaux
Lighting Design: Yan Lee Chan
Costume Design: Cloé Alain-Gendreau
Ever So Slightly explores the behavioral mechanisms and reflexes we develop against the ceaseless flow of irritants that bombard us in our daily lives. Most of us long for calm and resilience, but how do we get to a zone where noise and aggressiveness no longer have a place? Simultaneously delivering delicacy,
Victor Quijada continues with his extraordinary dance works, this time with 10 irrepressible dancers, a DJ, a musician and a wide-open venue. The vast performance space, the distorted bodies, and the live music result in a production on steroids. Sound-wise, Jasper Gahunia, one of Quijada’s longtime partner, is pushing RBDG’s musical signature by creating a bold and original soundscape to be performed live.
Co-commissioned by Global Arts Live, Cambridge, MA. Ever So Slightly premiered at the Place des Artes in Montreal, Canada on December 5, 2018.
Second Chances: Trenzado (2024) & Commissions Suite (2023)
(Green Fund Fee Support Available)
Mixed Repertory Program featuring Trenzado: 45 minutes and Commissions Suite: 20 minutes.
Total Running Time: 65 minutes
Choreography: Victor Quijada
Music Director: Jasper Gahunia
Lighting Design: Jon Cleveland
Dramaturgy: Mathieu Leroux
Scenography: Sylvain Baumann
Victor Quijada’s new, deeply personal work draws its inspiration from his experience growing up in Los Angeles first-generation Mexican American. Coming out of retirement and returning to the stage, Victor explores themes of identity, home and motherland. Trenzado features a soundscore by composer and DJ Jasper Gahunia who samples traditional Mexican genre of Norteño (Corridos and Ranchera). This new work challenges Victor and the audience to reckon with their own ideas of origin, belonging and displacement.
In addition to Trenzado, the mixed repertory program also includes Commissions Suite, a reconstruction of two works originally made by Quijada for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Physikal Linguistiks) and Scottish Dance Theater (Second Coming). A soundtrack by Jasper Gahunia provides the landscape while seven performers flirt with chaos.
Trenzado is co-commissioned by NextMove Dance, Randy Swartz and received funding support from the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Empirical Quotient premiered at the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts, in Montreal and was produced by RUBBERBAND, the CanDance Creation Fund, Danse Danse, Grand Theatre Kingston, Guelph Dance, Théâtre Hector-Charland and Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal, and the Segal Performing Arts Centre.
Vic’s Mix (2016)
(Green Fund Fee Support Available)
Running time: 70 minutes
Choreography: Victor Quijada
Lighting Design: Yan Lee Chan
Original music: Jasper Gahunia
Music: Various composers
Costume Design: Camille Thibault-Bédard
Vic’s Mix is the first phase of a long project that choreographer Victor Quijada began at the dawn of the company’s 15th anniversary in 2017. This creation is intended to highlight the essential innovations of Quijada’s choreography, synthesizing the fruitful results of his experiments in dance.
Through the prism of Victor’s influences, stretching from hip-hop in his first forays to his mastery of contemporary tendencies, Vic’s Mix is a watershed moment, a bridge connecting the works realized until now, a look back at pieces that established the company’s choreographic identity.
Vic’s Mix showcases excerpts from previous RUBBERBAND pieces, notably, Elastic Perspective. The music for the production is based on original works created by Jasper Gahunia and those of classical composers (Prokofiev, Verdi, Bach, Vivaldi, among others).
City Thread (2017)
Running Time: 30 minutes
Choreography: Victor Quijada
Music: Jasper Gahunia with the collaboration of William Lamoureux
Costume Design: Cloé Alain-Gendreau
App Development: ANAGRAPH
Dance maverick Victor Quijada reimagines the city as stage in this new and innovative contemporary dance experience. Featuring a cast of 30+ dancers composed of company members and dancers/dance students from the local community, City Thread taps into the vibrant energy of public spaces and our culture of smartphone technology to create a unique, shared experience between audience, performers and the environment. Participants download a smartphone app specifically designed for the piece, and embark on a sensorial experience – activating different music compositions based on their movement throughout the performance site. Audience members are free to create their own adventure by choosing one or more of the dancers to follow along various designated paths.
City Thread pays tribute to the effervescence of metropolitan environments while celebrating the unpredictable exhilaration of live performance. BYOEB (Bring Your Own Ear Buds) and let your dance adventure begin.
City Thread premiered on August 28, 2017 in a celebration of the city of Montreal’s 375th anniversary with support from Place des Arts de Montreal. Local dancers included students from Montreal’s École Supérieure de Ballet and École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal.
City Thread requires a 2 minimum week dance residency + advanced site visit with Victor.
Week 1 – Victor Quijada and a RUBBERBAND dancer to set the work on local dancers.
Week 2 – Full company arrives for on-site rehearsals with local dancers.
About the App: Audience members download the performance smartphone app with active GPS that holds a music playlist activated when they move through the designated public space. With the event’s soundtrack in the spectator’s hands, the performance begins in one central meeting point. Eventually, the dancers separate into smaller groups, moving throughout the area, and the sound score changes as audience members hit various hotspots designated throughout the site.
City Thread was made possible thanks to the participation of ANAGRAPH, Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal, TechnoMontréal, l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec, and l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, and the support of Valérie Truong Acupuncture Sportive, Kinatex Rockland, Luis Aledo, Azzuan, HOTEL10, GURU, and Blue Spike.
Virtual Programming
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
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Technology: Zoom or other live streaming platform provided by presenter.
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Company requires Presenter to provide virtual stage manager to run virtual activities. A tech rehearsal before every event with the virtual stage manager is required.
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The company can adapt activities to meet the needs of each presenter/theater and their respective communities.
BEFORE RUBBERBAND: A CHOREOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY | Multimedia Artist Talk
Los Angeles native Victor Quijada, Artistic Director of Montreal-based dance company, RUBBERBAND brings together classical dance composition and West Coast hip hop like no other before him. In this 60 minute multimedia presentation, rare archival footage of Quijada as a young bboy, a dancer for Twyla Tharp and later an aspiring choreographer, highlight his remarkable story. Quijada shares with audiences his personal journey – his inspirations, struggles and discoveries as he paved his path into the contemporary dance scene.
Details:
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One multimedia presentation w/Q&A featuring Victor Quijada.
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25 Students Max (can also be presented as a multimedia presentation with one moderator to lead the Q&A session following the presentation, in this case the number of audience is unlimited).
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60 minutes (40-minute multimedia presentation followed by 20-minute Q&A session or interview).
Description: Ahead of the presentation, participants are invited to view a private YouTube playlist that features excerpts of Quijada’s choreographic milestones. Viewing can be done at their leisure. Participants are invited to submit questions to Quijada 7 days before the presentation so that he has time to incorporate some of those questions into his presentation. A Q&A with the audience follows. Company requests two prep meetings – one with the presenting organization to discuss the target audience for the presentation and a virtual tech rehearsal to run through the multimedia elements with the presenter’s virtual platform.
TRENZADO: Inside the Creation Process | Multimedia Artist Talk
Inspired by Victor Quijada’s experience growing up first-generation Mexican American in early 90s Los Angeles, Trenzado explores themes of origin, belonging and displacement. An intimate evening of dance and conversation, Quijada unpacks the political urgencies that motivated him to create his most personal work to date. Sharing excerpts of his solo and Trenzado’s original sound score which samples traditional Mexican Corridos, Ranchera and Norteño music, Quijada offers audiences a rare glimpse into his artistic process and invites audiences to share their own sentiments around Trenzado’s themes.
Details:
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One multimedia presentation w/Q&A.
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30 Students Max (can also be presented as a multimedia presentation with one moderator to lead the Q&A session following the presentation, in this case the number of audience is unlimited).
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60 minutes (40-minute multimedia presentation followed by 20-minute Q&A session or interview).
Description: This interactive community conversation is built around the themes of Trenzado. Quijada will present a 40-minute multimedia conversation where he shares his inspiration to create this new work and engage in a community conversation where audiences into the dialogue, to share their own personal stories and perspectives on Trenzado’s themes of origin, belonging and displacement.
CORRIDOS & CARDENCHE 2.0: DJ Demo & Artist Talk
Join longtime RUBBERBAND collaborator, composer and world renowned DJ Jasper Gahunia (1998 DMC Canadian DJ Champion and World Championship Finalist) and choreographer Victor Quijada, as they discuss the various styles, history & origins of the Mexican music featured in Trenzado which include Corridos, Rancheras, Norteño and Canto Cardenche. Gahunia will deconstruct the music in real time for the audiences, illustrating how he mixes original songs to create one-of-a-kind sound scores that have become a part of RUBBERBAND’s signature style.
Details:
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Conversation and live dj demonstration w/ Q&A.
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Featuring Victor Quijada & Jasper Gahunia.
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30 Students Max (can also be presented as a multimedia presentation with one moderator to lead the Q&A session following the presentation, in this case the number of audience is unlimited).
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60 minutes (40-minute presentation with demo followed by 20-minute Q&A session or interview).
DANCING FOR THE CAMERA | SCREENING & Multimedia Artist Talk
In addition to creating for the stage, Victor Quijada’s work includes almost a dozen dance films including Gravity of Center and music videos for K-OS and Elton John. The company offers screenings of these films, followed by a discussion with Quijada on the differing demands when creating for the stage and for the cameral.
Details:
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One multimedia presentation w/Q&A with Victor Quijada.
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30 Students Max (can also be presented as a multimedia presentation with one moderator to lead the Q&A session following the presentation, in this case the number of audience is unlimited).
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60 minutes (40-minute multimedia presentation followed by 20-minute Q&A session or interview).
DANCE FILMS
EVER SO SLIGHTLY
Running Time: 21 minutes
Adaptation and Direction: François Blouin et Victor Quijada
Choreography: Victor Quijada
Director of Photography: François Dutil
Dancers: Amara Barner, Jean Bui, Daniela Jezerinac, Jontae McCrory, Sydney McManus, Jessica Muszynski, and Paco Ziel
Original music: Jasper Gahunia and William Lamoureux
In the short film Vraiment doucement/Ever So Slightly, François Blouin and Victor Quijada re-imagine the dance work of the same title created by RUBBERBAND in 2018.
Filmed in an empty Olympic Stadium of Montreal, Canada, the film follows six characters in the throes of a sense of urgency, revolt, chaos, and a desire to flee.
The film Vraiment doucement/Ever So Slightly premiered on Télé-Québec in the program, Danse en trois temps, broadcast in March 2021.
This co-production of Télé-Québec, KOTV, and RUBBERBAND was supported by: the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, SODEC, the Canada Media Fund, Danse Danse, Danse à la Carte, Société de la Place des Arts, Centre de Création O Vertigo, Théâtre Hector-Charland, Salle Pauline-Julien, Parc Olympique, Global Arts Live, SUNY Purchase, the ARRQ, the UDA, the AQTIS, and the National Bank of Canada.
GRAVITY OF CENTER
Running Time: 15 minutes
Adaptation & Creation: Thibaut Duverneix & Victor Quijada
Choreography: Victor Quijada
Director of Photography: Christophe Collette
Dancers: Elon Höglund, Emmanuelle Lê Phan, Daniel Mayo, Anne Plamondon, and Victor Quijada
Original Music: Jasper Gahunia
The short film Gravity of Center is an adaptation of the eponymous stage work created by Victor Quijada. Five characters encounter each other in the wake of a natural and economic disaster. Wandering through unnamed landscapes, they depend on each other for their survival but also feel stifled by their reliance on the group. Five world-class dancers embody animal instinct and human dignity in this stunning film.
Gravity of Center won Best Experimental Short and the Kodak Award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian Short at the 2012 edition of the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival.
The premiere of Gravity of Center took place at the Yorkton Film Festival in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, in May 2012.
Coproduced by Natalie Galazka, Sach Baylin-Stern, RUBBERBAND, and ANTLER Films. With the support of BravoFACT, the Canada Council for the Arts, Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal, and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Contact Pentacle for a full list of RUBBERBAND dance films available.
AUDIO/VISUAL OUTDOOR INSTALLATION
CITY THREAD: SITE-SPECIFIC AUDIO/VISUAL INSTALLATION
This original site-specific outdoor, live dance and audio installation first premiered in Montreal in 2017. City Thread has now been re-imagined as an outdoor audio/visual installation allowing performing art centers, plazas and pavilions to activate their outdoor spaces with a one-of-a-kind sound installation that is all activated through smartphone technology. Projections of footage from the original presenters featuring swarms of performers activate the space while individuals navigate throughout creating their own soundtrack for a multi-sensory experience.
Engagement Activities
WORKSHOPS
RUBBERBAND Method Workshop for Professional Dancers and Graduating Students
This 90-min workshop outlines the RUBBERBAND Method, a movement technique developed by Victor Quijada. Based on the RUBBERBAND company class, it prepares dancers for the demands of his choreography. The class addresses the following basic principles: distribution of weight outside of the plum-line axis of the upright skeletal structure; agility in hand, elbow, and shoulder inversions; and use of the body and all its surfaces as 3-dimensional and multi-directional carving tools. Participants are introduced to a hybrid movement style that is influenced by urban and contemporary dance vocabulary, while emphasizing interpretation, decision-making, use of rhythmic variations and partnering. It prepares contemporary and classically-trained dancers for floor-work commonly associated with breakdance. With the RUBBERBAND Method, dancers will be ready to engage with the floor with authority and finesse, while negotiating their body through space using techniques that are adapted from urban approaches. The RUBBERBAND Method also brings awareness to focus and visual connections in partnering and performance.
RUBBERBAND Method Workshop for 16yrs + and First Year College Dance Students
Victor Quijada’s choreography combines urban, contemporary and classical principles and is influenced by experiences of the street, stage and camera. In this class, dancers are taught exercises that build agility and precision whether dancing on their feet or on the floor or upside down. It is an introduction to the RUBBERBAND Method, characterized by the hybrid stylings of contemporary, classical and urban dancing.
Schooltime Matinee: The Breakdown
The Breakdown is presented in a lecture demonstration format that includes excerpts of various RUBBERBAND work and culminates in a Q&A session with students. The activity provides insight into the development of Quijada’s RUBBERBAND Method illustrated through excerpts of the company’s repertory. This is behind-the-scenes event where dance and conversation are at the forefront and showcases RUBBERBAND’s spontaneous and contemporary style. The Breakdown can be tailored for different audiences – from dance aficionados to novices. Schooltime matinee cannot be scheduled to begin before 11AM. Length: 50 minutes + 10 min Q&A session.
Grade range: Grade 6-High School
Short Film Screening/ Dance for the Camera
RUBBERBAND has created a number of dance on film works. The company is able to offer an evening screening and discussion, allowing audiences to become better acquainted with Victor Quijada’s choreography and to have a discourse on the differences between creating dance for film and stage. In addition to a number of high-quality short films, the evening can also include a selection of music clips and videos from special projects. With viewers’ feedback and participation, the evening of screenings can be tailored to specific interests, with or without the presence of the choreographer as a mediator.
Trenzado Share-Backs
These community conversations are a key element to the development of Trenzado and building a deeper relationship with the different communities surrounding the presenting venue. Choreographer Victor Quijada, music collaborator Jasper Gahunia and dancers will engage in these conversations. Victor will share his origin story and present excerpts from his solo and discuss the music collaboration. The audience is invited to engage in the dialogue with the company, sharing their own personal stories and perspectives on Trenzado themes of origin, homeland and identity. They can be organized in studios, on campus, in community centers, church halls etc to maximize reaching the surrounding population. Contact Pentacle for A/V needs.
Pre and post-performance discussions available upon request.
Press
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“Quijada’s choreography blurs hard edges of breaking with contemporary sensibility, boasting delectably clever partnering and buoyant musicality”
Time Out Chicago
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“A marvel of speed, precision, and invention, Victor Quijada is riveting as a performer. […] . As artistic director/choreographer of Montreal’s RUBBERBANDance Group, he mixes hip hop with contemporary and classical dance in a speedy, über-physical hybrid that blends easy elegance with male-female confrontations that threaten to become pileups. When he’s finished, the audience is whooping”
Dance Magazine
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“In advancing his craft, Quijada has lost none of his originality of style nor the sheer physical excitement of his street dance signature”
The Globe and Mail
For more information, please contact:
Joanna Futral
Booking Representative (South) & Contract Manager
212.278.8111 ext. 3422